The Patriot Post® · Thursday: Below the Fold
Musk retreats: The Elon Musk/Donald Trump spat ignited by Musk’s objection to the Republicans’ tax bill that Trump endorsed has apparently ended. After an escalating fight over social media, in which Musk made a dubious claim that Trump was on Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous list, he has since changed his tune. The apparent reconciliation began when JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles reached out to Musk over the weekend. Trump and Musk then spoke directly over the phone on Monday. Later, Trump softened his rhetoric on Musk’s opposition to the tax bill, stating, “Things like that happen. I don’t blame him for anything.” And on Tuesday, Musk posted on X: “I regret some of my posts about [Trump] last week. They went too far.” On Wednesday, Trump said, “I thought it was very nice that he did that.”
David Hogg has been booted: Democratic National Committee Vice Chair David Hogg has been ousted following a vote of DNC members. The pretext for holding new elections was the claim that the original election had violated the DNC’s gender diversity rules. The reality is that Hogg’s aggressive campaign to seek the primary of fellow elected Democrats he viewed as not progressive ultimately cost him his seat. Hogg responded to the vote, saying, “I ran to be DNC Vice Chair to help make the Democratic Party better, not to defend an indefensible status quo that has caused voters in almost every demographic group to move away from us.” He added, “The DNC has pledged to remove me, and this vote has provided an avenue to fast-track that effort.”
Iranian non-compliance with nuclear material leads to mounting tensions: Tensions continue to mount in the Middle East. On Thursday, the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency declared Iranian noncompliance with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years. In response to the declaration, Iran announced a new enrichment facility to be built “in a secure location.” Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been at the core of the five rounds of U.S.-Iran talks conducted under the Trump administration. While a sixth talk is still to come, the secretary of defense has authorized voluntary government-funded departure of military dependents from bases in the region, specifically Bahrain. A flurry of movement of U.S. assets in the area includes the State Department reducing its “footprint” at the Baghdad embassy. Rumors are flying about a possible Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear assets, while Iran has threatened to strike American bases if conflict arises.
Mahmoud Khalil gets more sympathy from a judge: One of the leaders of the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University that included the taking over of a campus building for hours, Syrian-born Mahmoud Khalil, whom the Trump administration has detained in its effort to deport him, got more help from a judge on Wednesday. Federal Judge Michael Farbiarz has ordered the Trump administration to release Khalil from custody by Friday, asserting that his continued detainment was causing irreparable harm to his family, his career, and his constitutional right to free speech. How exactly Khalil, who is not a U.S. citizen, has a constitutional right to free speech is difficult to square, especially given his anti-American rhetoric. The White House and the Department of Homeland Security said they will fight this order, with DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin stating, “We expect a higher court to vindicate us in this. We have the Constitution, the facts, and common sense on our side.”
Democrat leadership downplays violence, calls for resistance: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have joined the throng of Democrats pretending violent riots in favor of illegal immigrants are somehow peaceful and patriotic. “I am counting on all of Chicago to resist in this moment,” said Johnson. Tuesday saw thousands of anti-ICE protestors in Chicago, and Johnson explained that while only a “small number” abuse these protests for violence or looting, it plays right into Trump’s hands when they do. He also warned that Chicago is next on the list after ICE cleans up LA. Meanwhile, AOC explained that the attempted murder of police by dropping large stones on vehicles is just a teen throwing a rock that doesn’t deserve a Democrat response. She also blamed the administration for creating the chaos in LA. Democrats continue to blame everyone and everything except criminals and leftist policies.
Gov. Abbott orders preemptive deployment of National Guard: While some governors and mayors like to wait until their states and cities are overwhelmed by violent protestors before deciding if they should act, others show forethought and support for law and order. After protests in Austin and Dallas became unruly on Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott called upon the National Guard last night to back up local law enforcement ahead of planned protests today. Their first deployment will be in San Antonio, but other cities are expected to see the National Guard thereafter. Under Abbott’s leadership, the National Guard in Texas can perform police duties, including arrests, detentions, and street clearing. If you’re a protester hoping to get violent, Texas is not the place to try it.
EPA moves to revoke Biden’s power plant emissions rule: In an action aimed at helping make Americans’ energy costs more affordable, the EPA announced that it was seeking to undue the Biden administration’s anti-fossil fuel regulations on power plant carbon emissions. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the “EPA is taking an important step, reclaiming sanity and sound policy, illustrating that we can both protect the environment and grow the economy.” National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons welcomed the decision, calling the Biden-era power plant rule “unworkable,” adding, “This change will strengthen grid reliability and support manufacturing growth in the United States.”
GM’s $4B U.S. investment: General Motors has announced a $4 billion investment in U.S. facilities in the latest high-profile move toward domestic manufacturing. In 2027, American auto plants in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and Kansas City, Kansas, will create the Chevrolet Blazer and Equinox, respectively. Together, these plants will produce more than two million automobiles a year. This move away from manufacturing plants in Mexico is precisely the response President Trump was aiming for with his tariffs and MAGA agenda.
Headlines
Republicans clobber Democrats in Congressional Baseball Game for fifth straight year (NY Post)
House gets opportunity to defund USAID, PBS, and NPR (Daily Signal)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. names eight new members of vaccine advisory committee (National Review)
Green developer abandons New Jersey offshore wind farm after EPA rescinds permits (Washington Free Beacon)
Entire board overseeing State Department foreign scholarship program resigns in Trump protest (Newsweek)
Harvey Weinstein convicted of sex crime at NYC retrial, but jurors fail to come to agreement on rape charge (NY Post)
London-bound plane carrying more than 200 people crashes after takeoff in India (Fox News)
Russian war losses pass grim one-million milestone (Newsweek)
Humor: Reconciled Trump and Musk recreate “Rocky III” beach scene (Babylon Bee)
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